System of distribution by vapor electric converters.



UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

PEBGY H. THOMAS, or MONTCLAIE, NEW JERSEY, AssIGNoE, BY MESNE Ass-IGN- mEN'rs, To COOPER HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, or HoEoKEN, NEW JERSEY, A

CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

, SYSTEM F DISTRIBUTION BY VAPOR ELECTRIC CONVERTERS.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

Original application led Feb'ruary 17, 1903. Serial No. 143,760. Divided and application filed June 16, 1905, Serial No. 265,501. Divided and this application led June 14, 1307. Serial No. 378,896.

To all whom it may conce/'n Be it' known that I, PERGY H. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Montclair, countyof Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Systems of Distribu-l tion by Vapor Electric Converters, of which the following is a specification.

In another application filed by me on the 17th day of February. 1903, and bearing the Serial Number 142,255, I have shown and described a--system .of electrical distribution in which means are provided for delivering to a work or consumption circuit, the proper amount of electrical energy for satisfying the momentary needs of the service, .such

means depending on selecting and utilizing l portions of successive cycles which shall be adapted to deliver the desired energy.

The system referred to is adapted to bel controlled through the action of current re'ctiiiers which permit the How of current in one direction and oppose a practically prohibitive resistance to the ow of current in the opposite direction, coupled with devices in the supply circuit for so accelerating the energy derived from the source as to predeterminc the time when energy shall begin to traverse the rectiiiers.

It should be understood that -the apparatus described as a rectiiier is characterized by a reluctance to starting which appearsv particularly at one of the electrodes. When current is applied to the apparatus, an elec,- tric strain is produced at the said electrode and by increasing this strain to the breaking point, the apparatus may be started into operation, after which it will continue to operate until the zero point of the wave is reached.

The moment of starting an apparatus -of kthis character can be predetermined by selatter part of a cycle or Succession 0f Cycles,

where the voltage is low, while by a proper adjustment of the controlling devices, thel part of the cycle which is utilized may be shiftedV Vso-as-to--apply to the receiving circuit the maximum voltage, if desired, or any intermediate voltage.

In the system described and shown in the application referred to, the regulation of the energy delivered to the receiving circuit is voluntarily controlled according to thel known needs of such circuit.

By the present invention provision is made for automatically -supplying to the receiving circuit ananieunt of energy corresponding to the load on such circuit, thereby tending to create conditions in the consumption circuit, adapted tol the existing needs thereof.

The means by which such automatic regulation is accomplished are illustrated in the accompanying drawing which shows a diagram of a system adapted to accomplish the results named.

In the drawings, 29 represents an alternating current generator, and 30 an exciter therefor.V The mains 1 and 2 are vhere connected with the conductors 5 and 6,'through a gas or vapor electric apparatus 31 which serves the purposes of a rectifier, permitting the passage of current in the direction indi; cated by the arrow, and preventing the discharge of current in the opposite direction under ordinary conditions.

The starting band 32 is connected to the conductor 2, and the primary .9 is here placed in series with a resistance, 33, the primary and the resistance being joined in series between the mains 1 and 2. The seconda-ry, 3&1, is here provided with variable connections, the movable contact, 35, for accomplishing this being here connected with a link, 36, connected to a lever, 37, pivoted at 38. The o posite end of this lever is connected by a link, 39, with the. Core, 40, of a coil, 41, connected as a shunt coil between the mains 5 and 6. Translating .devices are shown at 42, 43, between the receiving mains 5 and 6. At 101 I Show a vapor converter the function of which is to supply the eX citer 30 with currents of one direction only. It accomplishes this purpose in view of the negative electrode reluctance atene of the electrodeswhich permits thejlow of current in one direction and suppresses it in another. The starting band serves as a means for breaking down the reluctance of the negative electrode to allow the passage of current in the proper direction. The starting band, 100 is connected through the pivot 38 and the link 36 with the sliding contact 35.

It is, of course, understood that the energy taken through the converter 101 may be taken from the generator during those impulses which are wrongly directed for use in the devices 42 and 43 as is so shown, though by oppositely directing the converter 101 the impulses through the exciter 30 may be taken at the same time as impulses through the converter 31.

The proper operation of the apparatus will be clear from the following: When voltage in the proper direction is impressed by the generator 29 upon the mains 1 and 2, current will flow through the converter 31 in view of the strain introducedupon the negative electrode thereof by the connection of the starting band 32 to the wire 2 and will pass to the wires 5 and 6 and through the various devices connected thereto. When the impulse of the generator v29is in the opposite direction, no current can pass the converter 31 since no means are provided for breaking down the negative electrode reluctance of thenegative electrode under these conditions. The excitation of the generator 29 is secured through the unidirectional impulses passed from the mains 1 and 2 through the converter 101 to the exciter 30 here shown as a field coil. These impulses can pass through the converter 101 in one direction in virtue of the impression of a critical strain on the starting band 100 from the secondary 34 of the transformer primary 9 which is connected through the controlling resistance 33 across the mains 1 and 2. Automatic control of the energy supplied to the mains 5 and 6 from the generator 29 is secured by governing the strength of the excitation in 30 by the shunt coil 41 and coperating plunger 40. When a definite condition of transmission of energy exists, a certain magnetizing current passes through the resistance 33 to the primary 9 and therr excites the secondary 34 which impresses a critical strain upon the starting band 100 of the converter 101 at the desired instant to allow a sutlicie'nt quantity of unidirectional current to flow to ,produce the proper generator voltage. Should a higher voltage be required as, for example, by the dropping of the potential between 5 and 6, the coil 41 will decrease the pull inserted upon the core 40, allowing the counterweight to drop the lever 36 and the movable contact 35 which will include a larger portion of the secondary 34 in the. circuit to 'the starting band 100 and theresulting higher voltage will cause the critical strain 'upon the starting band 100 to accrue at an earlier time, thus increasing the amount of exciting energy and raising the generator voltage. Similarly with the reverse operation.

These devices can be designed and calibrated, as before, to cause just enough vibration ofthe secondary 34 to secure the proper acceleration or retardation of the electromotive forces in the supply circuit to compensate for changes in the load of the receivlng circuit.

In further explanation it may be stated that an electrode reluctance is set up whenever current is applied in a given direction to an apparatus of this sort, and current will not pass through the apparatus until this reluctance has been broken down. In the present instance, this reluctance appears alternately at the two electrodes, and is alternately broken down by means hereinafter to be described. This breaking down takes place through the action of auxiliary electrical energy added to the electric strain which is produced at each electrode when current is applied to the terminals or electrodes of the apparatus.

Not only do the means about to be described provide for the alternate breaking down of the electrode reluctances,` but they also bring it about that the time at which the critical or breaking down strain shall be applied to each electrode may be predetermined. This being the case, only such portions of each cycle as follow the starting point of the cycle will be applied to the consumption circuit and these only until the zero point of the wave is reached.

The average energy delivered to the receiving circuit depends upon the portions of the cycles of the supply actually utilized. This portion may be determined by the relative point in the cycle at' which energy is first allowed to traverse the vapor device. Onaccount of the nature of this device current flow is initiated at the instant the strain introduced by starting bands exceeds the critical amount. This time may be varied by increasing the natural maximum voltage of the secondary windings so that the critical strain is reached at an earlier point of every cycle.

Assuming that a satisfactory condition of operation has been reached and beginning with the commencement of some c vele there will be applied from wires 1 and 2 across the work circuit and the device 31 gradually an electric pressure which will, in general be insufficient to overcome the negative electrode reluctance thereof so that no current passes therethrough in the initial stages, but with the increasing voltage, this reluctance is more nearly overcome as the alternation proceeds. At the same time current is pass- Cil strain to be applied to the starting band' 100 'from the transformer secondary 34.

4 When now this strain becomes sufficient, for'example, When one-third of the alternau tion has passed,the negative electrode re luctance of the negative electrodes Will be,

overcome and current will flow. This current fiow will continue in virtue of the characteri'stics of the negative electrode until the current drops nearly or quite'to zero when the negative electrode reluctance of the negative electrode Will restablish itself. As now voltage rises in the next alternation in the opposite direction, no current Will fioW through the device, 101, since the other electrode has no starting band or equivalent. Each alternation Will then be a repetition of one of the two `just described and energy will be impressed steadily upon the Work circuit from the mains in a definite quantity.

Supposing now that Vmore energy is used in the supply circuit, as a dropping of the potential between the Wires 5 and 6 which will result from a change in the demands, for example, of the device 42, the coil 41 being excited by this potential will be reduced in its attraction on the core 40 which will allow the counterweight 16to pull the contact down, increasing the effective potential in the starting band 100.

This application is a division of applicants Patent No. 877,258, January 21st, 1908, which is a division of applicants case Serial Number 148,760, filed February 17th, 1903.

I -claim as my invention- 1. In a system of electrical distribution in which a receiving circuit is fed from an alternating current supply, the combination with va vapor electric device requiring a reinforced potential tostart current flow, of means for applying such reinforced potential to said device and means for varying the time of application of said reinforced potential, together with means Lresponsive to the delivered energy for controlling s'aid varying means, said means for applying reinforced potential including a transformerI with a variable'ratio.

2. In a system of electrical distribution in which a work circuit is supplied from an alternating current source, the combination with a generator in which the control of the delivered energy is obtained through variation of the Vfield excitation and an exhausted electric device controlling the supply of energy to said field excitation, said device re- -quiring a reinforced potential for starting,

of means forivarying the time of application of said reinforced potential, to ether with'means for controlling said variatlon in response to the load energy.

3.*In a system of electrical' distribution jin which a receiving circuit is fed from an alternating current sup ly, the combination with a generator includring a direct current field coil and an exhausted electric device adapted to supply impulses of direct cur, rent to said field coil from sa-id generator, said device requiring a reinforced'potential in4 starting, of means for utilizing the energy of the generator for reinforcing the potential on the said device at a suitable time in each cycle of the supply.

4. In a system of electrical distribution in which a receiving circuit is fed from an alternating current supply, the combination -With a generator including adirect current field coil and an exhausted electric device adapted to supply impulses of direct current to said'field coil from said generator, said device requiring a reinforced potential in starting, of means for utilizing thesenergy of the generator for reinforcing the potential on the said device at a suitable time in each cycle of the supply, said means including a static transformer.

5. In a system of electrical distribution in which a receiving circuit is fed from an alternating` current supply, the combination with a generator including a direct current Y field coil and an exhausted electric device adapted to supply impulses of direct current to said field coil from said generator, said device requiring a reinforced potential in starting, of means for utilizing the energy of the generator for reinforcing the potential on the said device at a suitable time in each cycle of the supply, together with means responsive to energy in the receiving circuit for varying the time of application of said reinforced potential.

6. In a system of electrical distribution in which a receiving circuit is fed from an alternating current supply, the combination with a generator including a direct current field coil and an exhausted electric device adapted to supply impulses of direct current to said field coil from said generator, said device requiring a reinforced potential in starting, of means for utilizing the eri-- ergy of the generator for reinforcing the potential on the said device at a suitable time in each cycle of the supply, together with electro-magnetic means responsive to energy in the receiving circult for varying the time of application of said reinforced potential.

7. -In a system of electrical distribution in Which a receiving circuit is fed from an alternating current supply, the combination with a generator including a direct current field coil and an exhausted electric device adapted to supply impulses of direct current to said field coil from said generator, said device requiring a reinforced potential in starting, of means for utilizing the energy of the eratorfor reinforcingbthe tential on e said device ata suita le time. in each cycle of the supply, t er with means responsive to the potentia of the rei circuit for vary' the time of ap plicatlon of said reinfor potential.

8. The combination with analternatingQ current generator, a work circuit,-and a di- 'I rect current eld coil for the said generator,

of a vacuum electric rectifier including a lcompletely exhausted container and a .va rizable cathode therein connected in the circuit of said direct current eld coil where- P0. by onl favorably directed im vgnome iwitnesses:

Wn. H. Cnn., Taos. H. Bnowie. 

